It is well known that color photographic light-sensitive elements, using the subtractive process for color reproduction, comprise silver halide emulsion layers selectively sensitive to blue, green and red light and associated with yellow, magenta and cyan dye-forming couplers which form (upon reaction with an oxidized primary amine type color developing agent) the complementary color thereof. For example, an acylacetanilide type coupler is used to form a yellow color image; a pyrazolone, pyrazolotriazole, cyanacetophenone or indazolone type coupler is used to form a magenta color image; and a phenol type, such as a phenol or naphthol, coupler is used to form a cyan color image.
Usually, the color photographic light-sensitive elements comprise non-diffusible couplers incorporated independently in each of the light-sensitive layers of the material (incorporated coupler materials). Therefore, a color photographic light-sensitive element usually comprises a blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer (or layers) which contains a yellow dye-forming coupler and which is mainly sensitive to blue light (substantially to wavelengths less than about 500 nm), a green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer (or layers) which contains a magenta dye-forming coupler and which is mainly sensitive to green light (substantially to wavelengths of about 500 to 600 nm) and a red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer (or layers) which contains a cyan dye-forming coupler and which is mainly sensitive to red light (substantially to wavelengths longer than about 590 nm).
It is also known to incorporate into a light-sensitive color photographic material a compound capable of releasing a development inhibitor during development upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent. Typical examples of said compounds are the DIR (Development Inhibitor Releasing) couplers containing a group having a development inhibiting property when released from the coupler. This group is introduced at the coupling position of the coupler. Examples of DIR couplers are described by in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,554, 3,615,506, 3,617,291, 3,701,783, 3,933,500 and 4,149,886.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,070 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,880 disclose that remarkably high interimage and Eberhard effects are obtained when yellow DIR couplers having a specific formula are added to multilayered color photographic recording materials, in particular to the green-sensitive or red-sensitive layers. These couplers can improve the sharpness and color reproduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,792 discloses a photographic element comprising at least two light sensitive silver halide layers sensitized to green light and having differing degrees of light sensitivity, comprising in association with a higher sensitivity layer a yellow dye forming DIR coupler which releases a development inhibitor containing a weak inhibitor fragment, and further comprising in association with the lower sensitivity layer a cyan dye forming DIR coupler with a timing group containing a strong inhibitor fragment which releases a precursor of the development inhibitor fragment. Such a layer arrangement provides the ability to inhibit the red- and the blue-sensitive layers to the desired degree as a function of the green-sensitive layer development and thereby provides improved color rendition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,452 describes a color photographic material containing a DIR coupler having a 4,7-dihalogen-2-benzotriazolyl type group which is released during development upon oxidation with a developer agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,656 describes a color photographic material containing the combination of a) a yellow dye forming diketomethylene coupler in its active coupling position having a 4,7-dihalogen-2-benzotriazolyl group which provides a compound having development inhibiting properties when the group is released from the active coupling position upon color development reaction, and b) a yellow dye forming alkoxybenzoyl-acetanilide coupler having a releasable 3-hydantoine group linked to the active coupling position.
EP 887,703 discloses a light-sensitive silver halide color photographic multilayer material which comprises a supporting base having coated thereon at least one blue light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, associated with yellow dye forming couplers, containing a) a yellow dye forming DIR coupler having a 1,2,4-triazolyl group attached to the coupling position thereof, from which the 1,2,4-triazolyl group is released during development, such 1,2,4-triazolyl group comprising a hydrolizable alkoxy- or aryloxy-carbonyl group attached to a benzylthio substituent on the 1,2,4-triazolyl group and b) a yellow dye forming malonodiamide DIR coupler having, in the coupling position thereof, a 4,7-dihalogen-2-benzotriazolyl group which gives a compound having development inhibiting properties when the group is released from the coupling position during development. Said light-sensitive silver halide color material containing the yellow-dye forming DIR coupler combination, upon exposure and development, gives color images having a reduced granularity and a higher color purity, reducing to the minimum the speed decrease of all layers.